


Colliding Stars

by reidisdoodling



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Harry Potter - Freeform, KickTheStickz - Freeform, M/M, Phan - Freeform, Phandom - Freeform, Tronnor, mlm, mlw - Freeform, phanfic, wlw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2020-06-29 10:47:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19828561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reidisdoodling/pseuds/reidisdoodling
Summary: Dan got his Hogwarts letter, and all of the sudden he's thrown into a world full of magic, lies, secrets, and self-discovery. Dan meets Phil, a boy the same age as him. They get onto the Hogwarts Express together and meet two other boys, Pj and Chris. The boys become fast friends and set off to figure out a mystery happening at Hogwarts; who is causing students to fall ill and hallucinate? They're lead to dead ends, questions and uneasy feelings. All the while, Dan is finding that he feels a little too strongly for a certain someone and does everything he possibly can to keep those feelings hidden. But Pj and Chris are onto him and he hopes he can figure out this mystery while also figuring out how to cope with his feelings.





	1. Introductions and Insecurities

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first fanfic i've ever uploaded online. i hope it's good. it'll probably be slow going, but i'll try to keep you updated. :) i'm not sure how my update schedule is gonna work since i'm in the middle of moving out of state, but i promise i'll try my best. i hope you enjoy this mixture of dan and phil and harry potter. (my two beloved things)

Dan was standing in King’s Cross station. He saw countless people pass by, on their rush to whatever important thing they had to do today.  
Dan had no clue what he was doing. He was from a normal family, who were completely non-magical. But here he was, with super special cool powers and no one to tell him how to use them.  
His eyes wandered, looking for someone, anyone who might have a clue as to how he was supposed to get onto this supposed “Platform 9 and 3/4.”  
A boy with jet black hair, glasses and a trolley filled with trunks and boxes appeared from the mass of people. He was with a ginger-haired lady, most likely his mother, and a tall ginger-haired boy that looked to be slightly older than the boy.  
The closer the small group got to Dan the more hopeful he was that maybe they could help him.  
Eventually the group was over to him.  
“Hi!” Said the black-haired boy. “I’m Phil.”  
He smiled at Dan and held out his hand. Dan took it, reluctant to interact with a complete stranger, but glad to have at least met someone nice.  
“I’m- uh- I’m Dan.” Dan replied, with something of a grimace.  
“You’re new aren’t you? Phil said kindly. “I can teach you how to get on the platform. Oh, this is my mum and my brother Martyn.”  
Phil gestured to the ginger-haired lady and the tall boy next to him. They both greeted Dan and smiled.  
“Um, yeah, my family is um- not really here to show me, I guess.” Dan stammered. “I have no clue what I’m doing.”  
Phil smiled, his ocean eyes bright and warm, “You just have to run in between the column between platforms 9 and 10. It’s simple really, we can do it together.”  
Dan nodded, his hands firmly grabbing his trolley so they wouldn’t shake with nerves. Phil’s brother and mum went in before them, saying they’d meet them on the other side.  
Phil grinned and counted to three. They rushed into the column side by side. Dan closed his eyes and braced for the impact, but none came.  
He opened them to a platform filled with people. Some carrying owls and cats and frogs, some with giant trunks.  
The two boys walked over to Phil’s mum. Dan stood there as Phil and his brother said their  
goodbyes. They both hugged the ginger-haired woman and turned toward the train.  
“Follow me, we can sit in a compartment together. “Phil said, gesturing towards the train rumbling on the tracks behind them.  
Dan followed Phil and left his luggage with a tall, burly man who was loading it onto the train. They entered the train, which Phil called the Hogwarts Express and found a compartment. Dan walked in, relieved to be sitting.  
The two boys sat across from each other, Phil asking Dan questions. Dan answered cautiously, careful not to reveal anything important if this Phil guy turned out to be a bully.  
Suddenly, two boys appeared in the entrance of the compartment Dan and Phil had situated themselves in. One tall, with vibrant green eyes covered by glasses and thick brown hair. The other was shorter, with brown hair, like his counterpart and amber eyes.  
“Hi,” said the green-eyed boy, “I’m Pj, but my friends call me Peej.”  
“I’m Chris.” The brown-haired boy said, introducing himself. “I’m the good looking one.”  
The boy named Pj gave Chris a shoved. But they were smiling.  
“He means he thinks he’s the good looking one.” Pj commented, rolling his eyes at Chris.”  
Dan smiled, “I’m Dan.”  
“Oh! And I’m Phil, you’re welcome to sit with us.” Phil said.  
Pj and Chris thanked Dan and Phil and sat next to them in the train compartment.  
The four boys chatted for a few minutes before the train’s whistle blew and they started moving along the tracks and past the hidden station. Families waved goodbye as their children set off into the world of magic. And Dan wished his family had been there too.  
A voice jolted him from his thoughts.  
“So, what’s your story Dan?” Asked Chris.  
“My story?” Dan replied, unsure of what to say.  
“Like are you Pure-blood, Half, anything of the sort?” Chris said to Dan.  
Dan felt all eyes turned on him. Green, brown and blue, all curious to know more about Dan. Dan hesitated, unsure yet of what he made of the three boys witting with him.  
“Um- I’m- uh- I come from a family of normal people I guess and I’m 11 and I know nothing about magic.” Dan stuttered, terrified of what these boys would think of someone who had non-magical parents.  
“Oh cool!” Phil said with a smile. “Well my whole family is magic, so that makes me a Pure-blood I suppose.”  
“I’m a Half-blood.” Pj said. “And so’s Chris. My mum’s a muggle and my dad’s a wizard.”  
“Come on Peej, I wanted to talk about myself.” Chris whined indignantly. “Well anyway, my dad’s a muggle-born and my mum’s a witch, so really I’m 3/4 blood.”  
“Too technical Chris.” Pj snorted.  
The two boys shoved each other jokingly. Dan smiled, these boys seemed nice enough. They weren’t cruel or judgmental like the many boys he had gone to school with in the past, they were, dare he think it, kind.  
“So houses, you have to spill the beans.” Phil said suddenly, knocking Dan out of his thoughts. “Which one do you think you’ll be in?”  
“Oh Gryfinndor for sure.” Chris said. “My mum and dad were both in it and it only makes sense for me to be in it too.”  
Dan didn’t know what houses meant, or what Gryfinndor was. His confusion must’ve shown on his face because Phil started explaining the meaning of the houses.  
“So Gryfinndor are the brave, reckless ones, Slytherin are the cunning, broody ones, Hufflepuff are the super sweet, kind ones, my brother Martyn is actually in Hufflepuff! Oh, and Ravenclaw, they’re the smart, curious ones.” Phil explained to Dan.  
Chris and Pj nodded.  
“So obviously as a naturally brave person and heroic, I’d be in Gryffindor.” Chris said with a grin.  
“Oh shut up.” Pj said. “He’s an idiot is all. Anyway, I think I’ll be in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, but honestly I don’t care, I really just want to learn magic.”  
“I think I’ll be in Hufflepuff.” Phil said, his eyes bright behind his glasses. “I’d like to think I’m kind, and I could see my brother all the time.”  
Dan looked at the boys around him. He didn’t know what house suited him. What if he didn’t fit in any and they just sent him home? Would he be a failure before he even started at this new school? And what if-  
Phil cut Dan’s thoughts off, “I assume you have no clue what house you’ll be in, so it’ll just be an exciting surprise.”  
Phil smiled kindly as an old lady, who looked about 300, walked to their compartment with a trolley filled with sweets of all kinds.  
“Anything from the trolly, dears?” The lady asked in a sweet voice.  
Chris and Pj got some strange chocolates and Phil shook his head. Dan sat there, wanting candy, but not having any means to buy it. He shook his head and the old lady set off. Calling more people to get sweets.  
“Do you want to try a chocolate frog?” Pj asked, holding out a tiny blue box.  
“Are you sure?” Dan replied, not wanting to impose.  
“Of course!” Pj said to Dan. “We’re friends, friends share things.”  
Dan smiled and took it. Pj also offered one to Phil and he took it.  
There they were, four boys sitting in a train, munching on magical chocolate. Maybe this year wouldn’t be terrible after all. He had just made friends, friends who seemed to actually like him. Dan’s heart beaded faster and faster, excited yet unsure of all that was about to come. He looked over at his companions. Whatever he was going to face, he was going to face it with friends. And for the first time in the longest time, Dan felt at peace.

The train slowed to a stop. The various kids in each train compartment poured out. Phil was by Dan’s side, Chris and Pj followed close behind them. The tall, burly man Dan had left his luggage with was now directing all of the first years to boats floating on starry water. Dan gasped as he saw the massive castle of Hogwarts, where he would be attending school.  
“That’s Hogwarts?” Dan said, wonder encapsulating his voice.  
“The one and only,” Chris replied, “I heard that they have a giant monster at the bottom of this lake. I wonder if it’ll kill us all.”  
Dan shivered at the thought. Maybe they crossed the lake to eliminate the kids with too little magic. He started panicking, thinking back to the times when people had taunted him. He felt his vision become blurry as his eyes filled with salty tears.  
Dan felt a hand on his shoulder.  
“Dan,” Phil said, his hand remaining steadfast on Dan’s shoulder, “Dan take a deep breath, Chris was only joking. It’s gonna be okay.”  
Dan turned his watery brown eyes to Phil and took a deep breath, “Okay.”  
The group of four walked towards a boat. The burly man from before guided them on and introduced himself as Hagrid, the gamekeeper.  
“My dad was close with Hagrid when he came to Hogwarts, he’s actually studying magical creatures because of him.” Pj whispered to the group. “I wonder if he’ll recognize me from my name.”  
“A Ligouri!” The tall man suddenly said. “I was waiting for the next generation to come. How’s dad?”  
Dan looked at Pj, who looked rather startled. But the brown haired boy composed himself and began talking to Hagrid about his family. Dan tuned out and turned to Phil as the boats slowly moved off into the lake surrounding the grey, stone monolith of Hogwarts.  
“What happens when we get there?” Dan asked.  
“We get sorted and then we eat dinner.” Phil replied.  
“And then they make us go to bed, which sucks.” Chris added, a look of contempt crossing his face.  
Pj had stopped talking with Hagrid, who was on a boat next to their’s and joined in on the conversation They talked for about five minutes before they finally floated into Hogwarts castle. Or rather under, in a dock that began to fill with boats full of students. They stepped out of the boats and stood in front of a pair of large, wooden doors. A lady with eagle-like eyes opened the doors and continued to stand in the doorway.  
“I am Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.” She began, her eyes harshly gazing upon the students before her. “In a moment you will be escorted to the Great Hall where you will be sorted into your houses, please follow me and do not wander.”  
The group moved forward, following the harsh headmistress to what she called the Great Hall. Two more large, wooden doors greeted them. The doors slowly swung open, revealing students upon students sitting at tables with gold utensils. The ceiling looked like it was made out of the sky, with stars floating above the chandeliers. Dan could barely take it all in before they were moving again. They reached the end of the Great Hall and stood before a ragged looking wizard hat. It was patchy and rotting, with a slight stench rolling off of it. Suddenly, it came to life, startling Dan. He looked at Phil, Chris and Pj. They were all staring at the strange hat. It began singing a song.  
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.  
You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.  
There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be.  
You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve and chivalry,  
Set Gryffindors apart;  
You might belong in Hufflepuff  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,  
And unafraid of toil;  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
If you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;  
Or perhaps in Slytherin,  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folk use any means,  
To achieve their ends.  
So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!”

The strange hat finished its song and the students sitting in the hall cheered. Then, names began to be called.  
“Abarca, Collin” Headmistress McGonagall called.  
The boy stepped forward and placed the hat on his head, it shouted Hufflepuff and one of the four tables cheered. It continued like this, with names being called and cheers going around for each person who was put in their house.  
“Kendall, Chris.” Was called out.  
Chris stepped forward and put the hat on, after a moment it shouted Gryfinndor and off he went to sit with his new classmates.  
Then Phil was called, the hat sat on his head for a minute or two, but called out Gryfinndor, like Chris. Next up was Pj, he was also placed in Gryfinndor.  
Finally it was Dan’s turn. He slowly walked up to the hat, aware of the many eyes staring him, wondering if he would be in their house. He put the hat on.  
Suddenly it spoke, “Ah, a muggle-born I see, lots of talent, and you want to prove yourself, you want to be with your friends in Gryfinndor do you? Well, I guess it’ll be GRYFINNDOR!”  
Dan’s heart pounded as cheers went up from the table his new friends were seated at. The brown haired boy sat next to Phil, a grin on his face. Names continued to be called, with Zord, Gale being the last, and in Ravenclaw. The headmistress stood before a podium and clapped her hands to get their attention.  
“Hello, new and old students and welcome to Hogwarts. As you can see, there lies a school year full of mischief and magic ahead of you. But be wary, for darkness always creeps just beyond the eye. Be careful students.” The headmistress said, then with a sweep of her wand, food appeared on each and every plate and table in the hall. “Enjoy the meal young wizards.”  
Dan grabbed a little bit of everything. His mouth watered as he looked at the seemingly endless options of food for him to eat. Back home had always been hard, his family struggled with money and Dan hardly ate large meals. This lead to his shock at all the food being offered at his new school. Dan thought back to his family, they would be so starstruck to see all this food, and for no cost. He sighed. Adrian, his brother,, would have loved this, but as it stood, the 5 year old sibling of Daniel Howell was back in London, not here with Dan.  
“Dan. Dan. Dan!” A voice snapped Dan out of his thoughts, it was Phil’s. “Are you okay? You seem a bit upset, dinner is almost over.”  
A reassuring hand grasped Dan’s shoulder. His face became warm, his stomach did a little somersault. It was because of the food, obviously, he hadn’t eaten that much food in so long.  
“Look, our Prefects are already starting to lead some students out, we can go to our dormitories now if you’d like.” Phil said, with a kind smile and warm eyes.  
Dan nodded, unable to speak all of the sudden. They walked out of the Great Hall and followed the prefects, a boy named John and a girl named Dodie.  
They walked up winding stairs and twisting corridors, until they reached an odd room. The stairs turned and switched, leading to paintings of all sorts. Dan then realized that the painting were talking. His brain tried to reason how this was possible, but he couldn’t figure it out. They walked up staircase after staircase until they reached a painting of a rather rotund lady with a wine glass in her hand. She was singing, until John, the prefect, interrupted her and said “Honey Mildew.” She looked at him with a withering glare for interrupting her and the painting swung open. A grand room filled with chairs and a fireplace stood before the students of Gryffindor house. Dan walked in with awe. Trying to grasp every possible detail. But he was grabbed by the hand by Phil and they walked to their room. Dan fell even more into shock. There were four, 4 poster beds, a window looked over the lake below Hogwarts. The beds each had a trunk below them, belonging to Dan, Phil, Pj, and Chris. Dan laid on the bed with his trunk below it and took it in. He couldn’t believe it.  
“Pretty cool right?” Phil said, breaking the awe-filled silence.  
Dan nodded, “It’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a room, and more.”  
Phil grinned and laid on his bed, like Dan.  
“Do you wanna sleep now? I’m exhausted.” Phil breathed with a sigh of exhaustion.  
“Honestly, yeah. I feel exactly the same.” Dan said, closing his eyes.  
They fell asleep, not noticing Pj and Chris enter. Not noticing the creaking sounds in the walls, not noticing the eerie voice that spoke of slaughter.


	2. Headaches and Hallucinations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is having some strange dreams and headaches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyo! long time no see. i finally finally have the story fleshed out and a schedule to be posting my chapters!  
> i’m incredibly excited to share this story with you, as it’s been living in my mind for quite some time.  
> i hope you enjoy chapter 2 of colliding stars :)

Dan blinked his eyes to clear the bleariness of the early morning. He threw on a white buttoned shirt and pulled on his school sweater and cloak.  
The brown haired boy took a quick look at Phil, in the bed opposite his. His roommate was fast asleep.  
Should I wake him up? Dan thought, noticing that apart from the two of them, the room was empty. If Chris and Pj were up, it must be late already.  
Before Dan could make a decision, Phil stirred, his black hair sweeping the white pillow. He propped himself up on an elbow and smiled at Dan, the early morning sun softening his features.  
“‘Morning.” Phil said softly, his voice scratchy from disuse.  
Dan waved and grinned, “I was gonna wake you up, but then you did it yourself so there was no need I guess.”  
“We should go… down… to the Great Hall… to eat.” Phil said, pausing like it was an awkward statement.  
Dan nodded, confused by Phil’s strangeness.  
Phil dressed himself and the two Gryfinndor boys left the common room, wandering the long hallways of Hogwarts until they found the Great Hall.

The breakfast was different from the feast last night, there wasn’t nearly as much food, but still an astounding amount. Like the night before, Dan piled just about everything he could on his plate. He hadn’t realised he was so hungry until he felt his stomach rumble in anticipation. The food tasted like what he imagined heaven was. It was sweet and melted in his mouth. His absolute favourite thing was the cereal, while not a traditional breakfast item in Britain, it was Dan’s favourite snack, food, whatever you want to call it. They had small bowls of different cereals scattered across the Gryffindor dining table. Dan went straight for his favourite, Crunchy Nut Corn Flakes.  
Chris and Pj were talking to some unknown student, but noticed Phil and Dan and headed towards them, waving.  
He looked up from his food to wave back and glimpsed Phil, staring at him, his blue eyes seeming to fixate on him in the oddest way. Dan stared at Phil in return, the black haired boy took notice and broke eye contact, his face pink as he looked at his food as if it had started talking.  
“What was that about?” Chris whispered in his ear as he sat down with Pj.  
“No clue.” Dan whispered back, continuing to devour his food.  
Students started to leave the hall, heading to their various classes.  
“First-years get all the same classes as the first-years in their house, so should we all go together?” Pj asked.  
Phil nodded and stood up, the pink in his face starting to recede.  
The four of them walked to their first class, Care of Magical Creatures, with the Professor, Rubeus Hagrid. The tall, burly man that Pj had said was a friend of his family.

They walked out into the field that separated Hogwarts from the Forbidden Forest, a sprawling thicket of trees, ivy, and bramble that was forbidden to enter, hence the name.  
Class took place in an area that was almost in the forest, a clearing with the towering trees marking the border. The clearing was already filling with students, from both Gryfinndor and Hufflepuff.  
Dan stood next to his friends in the middle of the cluster of first-years. Watching intently as the Professor held out a small, spindly green creature.  
“This is a bowtruckle,” Hagrid started, in his gruff, but gentle voice. “They live in trees and plants, much like stick-bugs. But these little fellas are magical.”  
Hagrid said the last word with some sort of force that made Dan think the word was actually magic, like Hagrid had made ‘magical,’ well, magical.  
The class droned on into a lecture on caring for and looking for bowtruckles. They all got the opportunity to hold the emerald green critter and ask questions.  
The class was over before Dan could process any information and Chris had to take the bowtruckle from him and practically drag him away from his fixation on the small, branch-like animal.

The next class was flying, well on broomsticks, for Quidditch, which Pj informed him was a wizard sport that was the equivalent of Football in the magical world. Dan was put off immediately.  
When they arrived at the pitch, Dan began to realise that Phil hadn’t spoken since this morning. He had continued to act odd even after they got to their first class.  
Maybe he didn’t sleep well, Dan thought, That would explain his awkwardness, but why is it only when he’s looking at me, and why is he not talking?  
Dan determined that he didn’t know Phil well enough to think this was out of the ordinary, but it was a stark contrast from the Phil he had met on the train only yesterday.

The day continued in a whirl, the four boys going from class to class, meeting Professors and other students. By dinner, Dan could’ve passed out. Phil was still acting odd. He would suddenly turn around and look fearful, or stare at Dan with a glazed look in his eyes. Pj and Chris were just as confused as he was, but none of them could figure out what was going on. They ate in silence, all of them tired and confused from the day’s events.  
When John and Dodie called for all of the Gryffindor’s to head to the common room, they all did so.  
Dan collapsed onto his bed, his eyes fluttering, closing and finally plunging him into darkness. The dark and quiet of his dreamless sleep soon began to change, the black morphing into spindly, hellish creatures with long claws. They feasted upon a body of a pale boy with raven black hair in front of Dan, but he couldn’t remember who it was, his memory was foggy. The fog became thicker and thicker until he couldn’t remember his own name.  
A soft voice broke through the thick mist, turning loud, beginning to chant.  
“One will come.” The chanting began, “One will come, he will come, he will scream, he will screech, and all will fall, he will come.”  
The chant seemed to wrap around Dan’s head, digging into him, chilling him to the bone. He flailed in the grey fog that seemed to be getting darker and darker. His screams were silenced. And soon Dan was in a silent, dark slumber.

-

Phil woke up to Dan crying out in his bed. He glanced over, but as soon as he did, Dan stilled, whatever had bothered him was gone. The raven-haired boy laid back down, closing his eyes, thinking to the past month of being at Hogwarts. 

Much of his time had been spent unnerved by odd feelings in his head, like blinding headaches that almost seemed to control him. Chris and Dan had asked him about it multiple times, and it was clear they were concerned, but Phil had continuously pushed it away and said it was fine. Pj had also been observing him, but the quiet half-blood never spoke of any concerns.  
Phil’s head swam for the fourth time that day and he felt bile rise up into his throat like it did when he had his bouts of pain in his skull. He stood up and went down to the common room, where the hearth crackled and illuminated the place in a deep golden glow. 

Phil sat on a chair with the lion sigils of Gryffindor embroidered into the fabric. He held his head in his hands as pain split through his skull, a chant of death calling from within. 

It was all bloody prophetic wasn’t it. And it was Hogwarts, so maybe there was some dumb prophecy. But all Phil wanted was to spend time with his new friends and learn magic, not be the next Harry Potter. 

Regardless of the implications of Phil’s visions, he had tried to make the best of his time. Especially with his new friends. He was also quickly becoming proficient at caring for magical creatures, much to the thrill of Professor Hagrid. 

The pain in the tall boy’s head receded and he trudged back up to his dormitory, to attempt to fall asleep. Tomorrow was the first test of the school year, and if he went to class without having slept he would surely fail.

Dan was rolled into a tight bundle of sheets and blankets, seemingly in a deep slumber. Pj was sleeping under neatly made blankets, as if the bed was made on top of him. Chris had all of his sheets and blankets fully kicked off his bed. Phil smiled, the way his friends slept was truly representative of their personalities.

He dragged his feet towards his bed, drowsiness beginning to overtake him. The raven-haired boy flopped heavily on the soft mattress, pulling his blue and green duvet up to his chest and closing his eyes. He willed sleep to come, and minutes later he fell into a dreamless sleep.

It felt like Phil was blinking his eyes open to the bright autumn sun only a few seconds later. Pj was clambering out of bed, along with Dan. Phil could hear the shower water pattering against the tile in their little shared bathroom. 

Chris must be showering, Phil thought, stepping out of his own bed and stretching his stiff arms.

He yawned and rubbed his still bleary eyes, sniffling to clear his nose. His head seemed clearer than it had in the past month and it felt so relieving. No more pain or horrifying visions. Phil smiled to himself and pulled on his white button-up and Gryffindor cloak. He turned to his small nightstand and grabbed his wand, shoving it into the pocket of his cloak. The boy then grabbed his red and gold striped tie and quickly knotted it around his neck, taking a quick glance at himself in the mirror in the corner of the dormitory and then opening the door to the common room. 

Gryffindor students bustled about in the large lounge, some old, some young, many frantically scribbling on sheets of paper, most likely work for a class. The black-haired boy searched for Dan and Pj, who had left the room just shortly before he had. He spotted the curly mop of brown hair that belonged to Dan sitting near the hearth, with Pj sitting there too. Phil started to head towards them, but felt someone grasp his shoulder. He turned around to see Chris, hair still damp, grinning at him. 

“Did you see Dan and Peej?” Chris asked, his gaze flitting across the room.

“Yeah,” Phil replied, pointing towards where their friends were sitting, “Over there.”

Together, the two Gryfinndor boys walked over to their friends and took a seat. Chris immediately began chatting with Pj about some new Quidditch team, Phil looked over at Dan, who looked as equally bored at the conversation as Phil felt. The ocean-eyed boy tapped Dan on the knee and gestured towards the exit of the common room. Dan looked at him, puzzled, for a few seconds before realising what Phil meant and got up, saying that Pj and Chris could meet them in the Great Hall for breakfast.

They trotted out of the room and into the large chamber strewn with moving stairs, miscellaneous paintings and various doors of different shapes and sizes. When Phil had first entered this hall, he had panicked, wondering how he could possibly remember where to go, but with the help of his friends and some kind older students, he had memorised where he needed to go. 

Phil looked over at Dan, who was staring at a particularly gorgeous painting of a galaxy that was almost an imitation of Starry Night. 

“Hey, we should go to the Great Hall, right?” Phil said softly, resting his hand on Dan’s shoulder.

The brunette’s froze, his face going slightly pink and nodded. Dan’s mouth hung ever so slightly ajar, but Phil couldn’t understand why. He shook it off, thinking it must just be because Dan was tired. 

They trudged up the stairs towards a large, dark brown, wooden door and pulled it open into a hallway. Statues and suits of armour lined the hall and students stood in small groups, chatting, practicing spells, and telling jokes. Phil immediately felt self conscious walking by so many people, his face heated up and he felt the prickle of an anxiety attack coming. Then he felt a hand, gripping his shoulder, tight and grounding. He turned to see Dan, a kind smile prickling on his face, forming a little dimple on his left cheek. Phil felt his face flush, but this time with some feeling he couldn’t pinpoint. The calm solidarity of Dan’s hand was enough to bring him away from his thoughts of anxiety and the two boys continued down the hallway into the Great Hall.

The Great Hall was relatively empty, but Dan and Phil were earlier than they were most days, so it made sense. Phil made his way towards the middle of the Gryffindor table, where his friends usually sat and piled all kinds of food on his plate. Dan followed suit, heaping on all kinds of foods. They munched on their respective meals in silence, only saying something when Pj and Chris arrived.

Before long, the hall was filled with students, eating and talking before the first tests of the year began. Headmistress McGonagall stood behind the podium and called for the students to quiet down.

“Congratulations on completing one month at Hogwarts.” She began, her hawk-eyed gaze raking the tables of students. “As I’m sure you are aware, many of you have tests today, all of the Professors wish you good luck and hope for you to do your best. In other news, the Ministry of Magic has notified us of a sickness that has befallen students at magic schools across Europe. They say it is tied to magic and should any student experience head pains and strange visions, immediately report to the infirmary.”

Phil felt his body freeze, a strange fear overtaking him. He had felt the head pains and visions the Headmistress was describing. Thoughts circled his head, all of them ending in a question of whether or not something greater was at play. Every wizard had heard of Harry Potter, had learned his story, magical illnesses and fear was exactly what plagued wizards when Lord Voldemort had held power. Phil clenched his fists together and forced the thoughts away. He was just having headaches, nothing more.

“The ministry does not know if there is a higher power at play in all of this, but they have warned everyone to stay alert. If you see or hear anything, come to me or another Professor immediately. Have a good day students.”

With a wave of her wand, all the students began talking again, but the Great Hall had a strange fearful silence hanging over it, like a chandelier of terror, threatening to fall and crush everyone with its sheer force. 

Phil unclenched his hands, noticing that his nails had cut into his skin, leaving red marks welling with blood. He rubbed his hands on his cloak and stood up, saying he was going to class early to study one last time. Pj and Chris nodded, going back to eating their food. Dan met Phil’s gaze, his brown orbs filled with some sort of question that Phil had no way of answering. To his relief Dan looked away and muttered a “see you later” and Phil walked away. His head felt like it was swimming, questions seemed to scrabble at the sides of his skull, like tiny monsters begging to be free, begging for Phil to understand what was going on. The pale-skinned boy just sighed and sat against a wall, shielded by a statue of a proud looking wizard. He held his head in his hands, feeling tears pricking at his eyes. 

Phil sat there for what felt like days, when pain suddenly shot at his skull and he fell to the ground in pain, visions of blackness and death wracking his body. He convulsed in pain and fell still, eyes rolling back into his skull as the pain overtook him.


End file.
